On a cold winter day, nothing hits the spot like a steaming hot bowl of homemade soup. The possibilities with soup are endless.
The Book Bites Club at the Gilford Public Library meet once a month to discuss some of their favorite cookbooks and sample favorite recipes from cookbooks in the library. Run by Tracey Petrozzi, a library patron and fabulous cook, the Book Bites Club is a fun way to explore the library’s many cookbooks.
Each month, Petrozzi selects a theme that relates to the current season or seasonal ingredients and builds a tasting menu around the theme that typically consists of an appetizer, main course and dessert. Previous themes have included apples, holiday cooking, and fresh from your garden.
The next Book Bites meeting will be Jan. 31 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and will focus on soup.
The cost for this program is $5 per person. Space is limited, so participants are encouraged to sign up at the library’s circulation desk. For more information, contact the Gilford Public Library at 524-6042 or by email at library@gilfordlibrary.com. The library is located at 31 Potter Hill Road in Gilford.
Try out this featured recipe on your own. Petrozzi said that when the weather is cold, this soup will be sure to keep you toasty warm.
2 to 2 ½ lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons butter
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 to 6 cups chicken stock
1½ teaspoons curry powder
Pinch each of ginger and nutmeg
Sour cream for garnish, optional
Melt butter in a large soup pot; add carrots, onion and celery. Saute until soft.
Stir the cubes of butternut squash and potato into the vegetables.
Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer, partially covered for 40 minutes.
Add curry, ginger and nutmeg.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender.
Return to soup pot, add more chicken stock if necessary to thin, and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, if you like.
(Adapted from “Heart of the Home” by Susan Branch.)